


This Land Will Never Bear so Foreign a King

by blubu



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: Other, a lil angsty, auntie hornet™, ghost is fuckin dead lol, grimmchild grows up and becomes queen, post dream no more, so is grimm i guess, sorry i made her a chick, the grimmghost is kinda implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 03:21:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17296784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blubu/pseuds/blubu
Summary: The Grimmchild, now too grown to be called a "child", remembers her father's passing on the day of her coronation.





	This Land Will Never Bear so Foreign a King

**Author's Note:**

> yall its three am im just throwin this shit at yall from my amino ahdasbd  
> anyway  
> grimmbab deserves the world btw  
> also i love fics where they become the next ruler just yseee

She sometimes thought back to that day. Thought back to the naive child she was, to the End that had surely lied before them. She thought back to her father’s face that day, forever hidden behind that white veil, but mournful all the same.  
They had reached the End of their journey. Her father would soon face their sibling hidden deep within the Black Egg, and she would accompany them. Right?  
Her excited squawking--still too young to use her vocal chords to make actual words--echoed through the empty space before them as they stumbled closer to the final battle. She had been preparing herself, testing how fast she could fly and how far her flames flew. She could sense something akin to adoration radiating off her father, causing her to squawk and playfully fly around them as well.

Her father sat near a cracked open egg. She peered at a tablet resting inside one of the cracked halves, though quickly realized she had no idea how to read. She squawked in annoyance at this.  
Her father stared up at her. She stared back, and growing playful again, swooped around them before resting at their side. Something faltered in their gaze. And maybe back then, if she had understood that look, She could have somehow urged her father away from the path they had set themself on.  
She squawked at them in question when they began removing a charm--her charm--from the notches attached to their cloak. She meowed sadly and prepared to poof away back into the charm, before her father took one long look at her and smashed the charm against the place they were sitting. She squawked in outrage, though quickly realized what they had done was a favor. Her essence was ripped from the broken charm and returned to her, and she was no longer tied to it. Her cries of outrage became cries of happiness as she snuggled up to her father.  
Now, her father could use those notches for other charms, while she followed behind them on her own.

… Right?

Apparently, that wasn’t right. She squawked again in question when her father began pointing at the exit. She nibbled at their finger affectionately in response, though stopped when they shook her off and began pointing again--firmer, this time.   
She was confused. Did her father want her to leave? She began flapping her small wings toward the exit, looking back at her father only to see their nod of approval. Meowing sadly, she did as told and left with the darkness fading behind her.

She stayed on the bench for a long while. She wrapped her wings tight around herself and attempted to shield herself from the cold, wishing one of her fathers was there to provide what even small amount of heat they could provide. The Elderbug seemed shaken at her presence at first, however she had grown used to it through her adventures with her father.  
Once realizing the small child would do no harm however, Elderbug visibly relaxed and even sat next to the Grimmchild to provide his own warmth. She squawked in thanks.

Later, when the child had almost fell into a deep slumber, she heard the quick pitter patter of feet thumping against the cobbled ground. She slowly opened her red eyes to her Auntie Hornet. The child squawked happily and prepared to envelop her aunt into a hug, until finally realizing what two halves a former whole she was holding. The white pieces were tarnished with black void.

“... Papa..?”

At least one of her fathers was there in some way to hear her first word.

 

That was all years ago, she remembered, and there was no point in reminiscing over bad memories now--especially with her Aunt Hornet fussing at her.

“And of course, you have to--hey. Were you listening to a thing I just said?!” Hornet’s voice rang out in frustration, purposely tightening the bow around Grimm’s waist far too tight. Grimm winced.

“Sorry, auntie,” she apologized with a wince, staring down at the now much shorter woman. Hornet had of course grown over all those years, however it was no match for just how large the former child had grown. She supposed she would even tower over her Grimmfather now.  
Hornet rolled her eyes, fixing the bow. “This is your coronation. Everything needs to go according to plan.” She stepped in front of Grimm to assess what she had done so far. She adjusted the bow, fixed a few void-like tendrils that made up the skirt of her dress, and shifted her wings (which earned her a squawk).  
She then reached high above to pat Grimm’s head, rubbing affectionately between her black horns. Grimm purred in response, as a sigh met her ears.

“After this day, this kingdom will belong to you, dear. As is your right.” She lifted the headpiece she would soon be placing upon Grimm’s head up to the light, admiring each piece of jewelry and the way the main piece was designed based off Grimm’s horns.  
“I do not usually allow myself to become sentimental, as I am sure you know very well,” Hornet turned back to her niece, “however I wished to say that I am.. Proud of you.” She admitted. “And I know your father would be as well.”

Grimm almost whimpered at this, shying away. She was a very confident girl and leader, and yet.. “Must I be crowned Queen today? I mean, this kingdom has fared well under your rule..”

The former queen quickly shook her head. “I cannot. Not only have I neglected the people of Deepnest for far too long, but you are the true heiress to the throne.” She adjusted her own dress subconsciously. “As your father was the previous King. Albeit they were never given the chance to rule.” Grimm visibly slackened at this.

“Alright then, I suppose,” she sighed.

“I’ll send one of the Royal Retainers to fix some of your jewelry. And do not slouch; that ruins your posture.” Hornet called, as she left the black and red decorated room.

Grimm mumbled under her breath, before sitting upon her bed and waiting.

 

It was now time. The crowds waiting outside the rebuilt and revamped White Palace all collectively silenced themselves as Grimm began to walk out the doors and step up the elevated platform where all who had traveled far and wide from all corners of the Kingdom could see. She had been decked out in jewelry resembling both fire and shade, flames and shadows, swirling together in a way that almost signified the dance that had sparked her true birth.  
She was nervous. Who wouldn’t be, when they were about to be crowned ruler of one of the most well-known Kingdoms to bugkind? She swallowed down her fears and continued on.  
She stepped to the former Queen of Hallownest. Hornet was decked out in accessories now relating more to Deepnest; the Kingdom she would be ruling after handing over her position here.   
Grimm bowed low on her knees in front of her aunt. Hornet nodded in satisfaction, carefully removing the headpiece from the display it was resting upon.

“Grimm of Hallownest,” Hornet began, her voice raining down upon all those present like thunder. “Do you accept the responsibilities that shall come with your new title?”

“I do.”

“And do you promise to lead your Kingdom in its time of both peace and suffering?”

“I do.”

Hornet began carefully setting the headpiece upon Grimm’s head. “And do you promise to care for your worshippers, the people of your Kingdom, as if they were your own children?”

“I do.”

Hornet nodded in satisfaction. “Then rise, Queen of Hallownest, and face your children!”

Grimm did as told, raising herself to her feet and turning to face the crowd. She allowed that nervousness to sink in once more, to grab onto her bones, and remind her of the Endings her fathers had been succumbed to--  
Before there was cheering. Her people cheered for her, their voices ringing and washing away any trace of doubt she previously fostered, before even bowing to her as well.. There was no point in being worried; she would do great, she realized, as her people already loved her.  
And even though she only was able to spend a small amount of her time with them, she knew it was because she had some pretty great dads.

“Rise, children,” Her voice rang out, “and let Hallownest ascend upon a new age!”


End file.
